Guardiola eager for 'special' DFB-Pokal success

The Spaniard was delighted with his side’s 5-0 rout of Bert van Marwijk’s struggling outfit on Wednesday, while Matthias Sammer hailed the return of Bastian Schweinsteiger

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola said he was eager for “special” DFB-Pokal success after his side thrashed Hamburg 5-0 in Wednesday’s quarter-final.

A hat-trick from Mario Manduzkic and goals from Dante and Arjen Robben secured a commanding win for the holders against Bert van Marwijk’s strugglers, and Guardiola admits his sights are firmly set on defending the trophy in Berlin on May 17.

“I’m happy with the performance of my team, we played very well,” Guardiola told Bayern’s official website after the match. “It’s the first time I’ve been in the DFB-Pokal – many people have told me how beautiful it is in Berlin, and now we are only a step away. This is something special for me.

“At the start we had a few problems, but after 2-0 it was a little easier for us.”

Sporting director Matthias Sammer added his delight at the way the team performed after a close first 20 minutes and paid tribute to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who made his return from injury in the second half.

“At the beginning we lacked a little bit, but then we found our game and played seriously until the end,” said Sammer.

“I am also pleased that Bastian Schweinsteiger is back, and Javi Martinez played again. This is good for us. We want to continue like this.”

Bayern will face Kaiserslautern in the semi-finals on April 15 or 16.

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